How to properly test your software for quality – Glorium’s QA secrets

In any software application development project, be it a server-side application, a website, a mobile app or a Cloud-based solution, there is one overriding principle. Your software must work when it’s finished.

This is a no brainer, right?

Of course, and how do you make sure that this big project you’ve paid to develop does what it’s supposed to and then some? Through the proper application of proven quality assurance (QA) tools and methodologies.

So what does Glorium do for our clients?

Well, we use a combination of 3 QA categories to guarantee that when an application that we’ve developed goes live, it works like it’s supposed to and can handle the stresses of continuous use. The trick is that you don’t want to just rely on one method or another – you want to triple-check everything.

Here’s how…

We begin, and you should too, with common QA approaches, which include:

• Black and white box testing

• Automated and manual testing

• Unit testing

• Incremental integration testing

• Functional, system and end to end testing

• Acceptance testing

You’re probably familiar with all of these, and there’s nothing unique in this list – but wait, there’s more!

The 3 areas we focus on are automated testing, manual testing and perhaps the biggest advantage – customized testing tools and methods. Let’s face it – you can’t always rely on pre-packaged tools or even your own manual testing procedures.

There are times when you have to innovate even the way that you test an application. For our clients, when standard testing just won’t cut the mustard, we create custom methods and even custom tools to manually and automatically test the software’s quality.

A few things to watch out for…

The best way to guarantee that your QA testing covers all the bases is to start off on the right foot. Here are a few things to consider when instituting a QA program:

• Understand the functions and limitations of the application.

• Create a plan for testing the core functions.

• Crate a plan for testing the fringes – those seldom but important glitches that aren’t easily uncovered.

• What are the requirements for both the software and the testing?

• What tools are available?

• Are the tools going to get the job done, or do you need something custom-made?

Even after you’ve successfully tested your software – go back and ask yourself if there is anything that may have been missed. You can never be too careful. Even so, a few errors may get through, so be prepared to deal with user-uncovered glitches once the software is actually live.

QA is not an exciting topic, but it’s an important one. Doing your homework and your due diligence can save you a lot of hassle down the road!